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The Brahman’s wife who killed a peacock and ate its gallbladder on the physician’s advice, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Nineteenth Night
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The Brahman’s wife stands over the body of the Raja’s dead peacock, which she killed in hopes of finding a cure for her infertility. The woman’s crime was nearly discovered, but she ultimately saved herself with a cunning lie. The physician, wearing orange and green, sits in the chamber on the left.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Brahman’s wife who killed a peacock and ate its gallbladder on the physician’s advice, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Nineteenth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 10.7 x 10 cm (4 3/16 x 3 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.140.a
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